Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB.  Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives.  As such, it is news to us that there will be three new members inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.

The new entrants all enter through different methods.

Matt Holiday was inducted via the fan vote.  Joining the Cardinals in 2009 when he was traded during the season from Oakland, Holliday remained in red until 2016, going to four All-Star Games and winning the Silver Slugger in 2010.  Holliday collected 1,048 Hits, batted .293 and smacked 156 Home Runs for St. Louis.

Julian Javier was elected by the Red Ribbon Committee.  Playing at Second Base for the Redbirds from 1960 to 1971, Javier helped St. Louis win two World Series Championships and was an All-Star in 1968.  Mostly known for his defense, Javier had 1,450 Hits for the Cardinals.

Charles Comiskey was chosen by the DeWitt Ownership Group.  He played First Base and Managed for the forerunners of the Cardinals, the Browns in the 1880s, but he is best own for owning the Chicago White Sox from 1900 to 1931.

The induction ceremony will take place on August 27.

Selfishly, this is one of our favorite franchise Hall of Fames, and we applaud how well the Cardinals have executed it since its exception.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest inductees into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame. 

In a tumultuous year that was not normal for anything and everything including baseball, one thing that might be back to normal is voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Granted, the 2021 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot has 14 returning candidates, with just about every one of them owning cases for induction that range from borderline to compelling.

We are excited to unveil another new section here at Notinhalloffame.com.  We always look to the future, and as such, it is with great excitement that we unveil our write-ups on the Baseball Futures of 2024.  Specifically, this is in reference to the former baseball players who will be eligible for Cooperstown in 2024.

They are set up so that you can cast your votes and offer your opinions before they become officially eligible.

The formers players who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024 are:

Adrian Beltre:  From the Dominican Republic, Beltre has a great shot for early induction as the Third Baseman is a member of the 3,000 Hit Club, won five Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers and was a four-time All-Star. Beltre has 377 career Home Runs, 1,707 RBIs, and his plaque will look good with that Texas Rangers cap.

Adrian Gonzalez:  Gonzalez was a five-time All-Star who also won two Silver Sluggers and four Gold Gloves. “A-Gon” had 2,050 Hits, with 317 of them being Home Runs.  He was also the American League leader in Hits (213) in 2011. 

Alcides Escobar:  Escobar played in the Majors for 11 years, and in 2015 he won the World Series with Kansas City.  That year, the Shortstop was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner.

Bartolo Colon:  Colon played 21 years in the Majors, with runs in Cleveland, Montreal, Chicago (AL), Anaheim, Boston, New York (AL), Oakland, New York (NL), Atlanta, Minnesota and Texas, but he never felt like a journeyman, as a Colon start was an event.  The big man was a four-time All Star, a Cy Young winner and had 247 Wins with 2,535 Strikeouts.

Brad Ziegler:  Ziegler was a reliever throughout his career, and in 2013 and 2018 he led the league in Games Pitched.

Brandon Morrow:  As a Blue Jay in 2011, Morrow led the AL in SO/BB. He had a career record of 51-43.

Brandon Phillips:  Phillips was a three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove recipient and he had 2,029 career Hits and 211 Home Runs.

Chase Headley:  Headley had 1,337 Hits and was a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.

Chase Utley:  Utley was a six-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, and he had three top-ten finishes for the MVP.  A World Series Champion with the Phillies in 2008, Utley accrued 1,885 Hits, 259 Home Runs and 1,025 RBI.

Chris Tillman:  Tillman was a ten-year vet (all with Baltimore) and an All-Star in 2013.

David Wright:  Wright played all fourteen of his MLB years as a New York Met, where he was a seven-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger and two-time Gold Glove winner.  The Third Baseman had four top-ten finishes in MVP voting and totaled 242 Home Runs with 1,777 Hits.

Denard Span:  Span was an 11-year vet who led the National League in Hits once and Triples twice.

Doug Fister:  Fister had an 83-92 record over a ten-year career.

James Shields:  Shields was an All-Star in 2011 when he was second in Cy Young voting.  He would fan 2,234 batters with a 145-139 record.

Jim Johnson:  Johnson was an All-Star in 2012 and he was also the Reliever of the Year.  That season and 2013 saw Johnson lead the American League in Saves and he would accrue 178 in total.

John Axford:  In 2011, Axford Reliever of the Year, was an All-Star and led the American League in Saves.  He had 144 career Saves.

Jose Bautista:  After years of mediocrity, Bautista exploded as a Toronto Blue Jay where he won two Home Run Titles, six All-Star, three Silver Sluggers and four top-eight MVP finished.  Bautista had 344 career Home Runs.

Jose Reyes:  Reyes won the National League Batting Title in 2011, and was a four-time All-Star and three-time leader in Stolen Bases.  Reyes had 2,138 career Hits and 517 Stolen Bases.

Matt Holliday:  A seven-time All-Star, Holliday blasted 316 Home Runs with 1,220 RBIs.  Also, a four-time Silver Slugger, Holliday helped the Cardinals win the 2011 World Series Championship, and he had a career Slash Line of .299/.379/.510.  

Phil Hughes:  Hughes was a World Series Champion in 2009 and All-Star in 2010 with the Yankees, but his best season was in Minnesota where in 2014 he finished seventh in Cy Young voting.  Hughes had a career record of 88-79.

Ryan Madson:  Madson pitched in 740 Games and won two World Series Rings; one with Philadelphia (2008) and another with Kansas City (2015).

Santiago Casilla:  Casilla played for Oakland and San Francisco, and with the latter the Relief Pitcher won three World Series Rings (2010, 2012 & 2014).  He had 144 Saves over his career.

Victor Martinez:  Martinez was a five-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger who had 246 Home Runs and 1,178 RBIs over his career.

Yovani Gallardo:  Gallardo played most of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers where he was an All-Star in 2010.  He had a career record of 121-101.

The entire 2024 eligibles can be found here.

When you can, cast your vote and give us your opinions, as this will shape where we will rank them once eligible.

As always, we thank you for your support.

With probably a better Hall of Fame resume than you may realize, Matt Holliday went to seven All-Star Games, was a four-time Silver Slugger, and has over 2,000 Hits and 300 Home Runs.

Matt Holliday’s best season in baseball may have taken place in Colorado where he was the runner-up for the MVP in 2006 but he was with the St. Louis Cardinals for a longer period of time and actually compiled better overall statistics.

The professional career of Matt Holliday began in Colorado, which is also where he had his best season in MLB.  In 2007, Holliday would finish second in MVP voting while leading the National League in Hits, Doubles, Runs Batted In and a Batting Title.  As a member of the Rockies, Holliday would score three Silver Sluggers with 126 Home Runs and a Slash Line of .319/.386/.552.  He was also a three-time All-Star in Colorado.